The holiday season offers myriad chances to extend your professional network and mine new career opportunities. Every December executives are inundated with invitations to work parties, social functions, and a number of other superlative networking opportunities. Whether your job search is active during the holiday season or temporarily on hold, take advantage of your holiday social circle by developing a strong elevator pitch for this year’s holiday functions.
Why Form an Elevator Pitch?
Self-promotion is a challenge in the best of times, but at a holiday party you must not only overcome personal hangups, but also contend with a crowded room, tenuous introductions, and a shortage of time. Having a well-crafted elevator pitch can help you make an impression instead of leaving you fumbling by the snack table during networking opportunities like holiday office parties. A concise, informative elevator sales pitch allows executives to introduce themselves to visiting CEOs, leadership teams within their current companies, and experts in industries that may sound appealing as future career paths. The more you polish your self-promotion sales pitch, the better you can build a professional network when you find yourself in a situation with an unexpected opportunity for developing your career.
How to Craft the Perfect Self-Pitch
A good elevator sales pitch is concise, informative, and well-branded. Remember these rules of a good self-promotion elevator pitch:
- Keep the pitch between 60 seconds and 3 minutes, with room for expansion or abbreviation based on your audience
- Share your goal (e.g. gaining new knowledge, expanding your network, broadening your industry education)
- Identify how you can provide value to your new business contact
- Use specific, actionable words
- Utilize your personal brand, sharing your story in creative ways
- Wrap up with a clear call to action
- Follow up several days after the initial pitch with a quick phone call, email, or holiday greeting card
Do you need help transforming your executive story into a concise, actionable sales pitch? Call Executive Resumes Atlanta for help honing your personal brand.